Date:
Monday, September 17, 2007
Contact:
Russ East, Asst. Regional Administrator, 206.440.4695 (Seattle)
Travis Phelps, WSDOT Communications, 206.440.4788 (Seattle)
MARYSVILLE – Drivers will see WSDOT drilling crews in the median of Interstate 5 in Marysville starting today, Sept. 17. This activity is part of ongoing survey work, which will help engineers develop more detailed plans and cost estimates to replace 10 miles of cable median barrier with concrete barrier along the northbound lanes.
For the next four weeks, crews will take soil samples and install several small wells to measure fluctuations in the water table. While this work will not require lane closures, it will take place during the day and may be a visual distraction for drivers.
“It is critical that we know what types of soil we’re dealing with and how the water table is moving under I-5,” said WSDOT Assistant Regional Administrator Russ East. “This information will help us design an efficient and effective stormwater drainage system.”
The stormwater drainage and environmental needs of each project are unique and can heavily influence a project’s cost and schedule. WSDOT engineers remain cautiously optimistic that this project can be built for $27 million and, if funding becomes available, begin construction as early as 2009.
“We’re still in the very early stages of design,” said East. “Once we get the lay of the land we can develop a more detailed cost estimate for this project.”
In July, WSDOT and the Washington State Patrol released a report requested by Gov. Chris Gregoire detailing the effectiveness of cable median barrier across Washington state and on I-5 in Marysville in particular.
Analysis by independent expert, Malcolm Ray, revealed a unique crash history in Marysville. Ray recommended installation of concrete barrier on the northbound inside shoulder on I-5 through Marysville while leaving the existing cable median barrier adjacent to the southbound lanes.
Additionally, WSDOT allocated $500,000 from its annual safety budget to help engineers get a jump start on designs for this concrete barrier project, and to develop a more detailed cost estimate for this project.
The report can be found on WSDOT’s Web site at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/cablebarrier/report2007
Information about WSDOT’s new cable median barrier installations can be found at www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/cablebarrier.
< Back to News Home